Introduction: Welcome, future students, to Son of a Trickster by Eden Robinson! This book is a captivating coming-of-age story that follows Jared Martin, an Indigenous teen living on the west coast of British Columbia. With a mix of magical realism and contemporary themes, this book will take readers on an emotional journey. Though the story is powerful and has many strengths, there are also some challenges and controversial issues to be aware of. Summary: Son of a Trickster is a captivating story about a 16-year-old Indigenous teen named Jared Martin, who is trying to find his place in the world.
These statements illustrate that although the death of the suitors was unfortunate, it was brought on by the suitors themselves. Because the suitors and their kinsmen had been warned beforehand about the possible dangers their actions may bring, there is no reason that they should’ve remained around the home of Odysseus. The many warnings expressed towards the suitors leaves their actions inexcusable and provides evidence as to why Odysseus and Telemachos’ actions reached the severity that they
The fact that the faerie world in Sir Orfeo seems merciless is surprising, and makes these faeries appear to be villainous. In both stories the sets of standards that are used setup the overall ending. The beings with more morality prosper in the end, justifying the good overcoming the
Many people lie or disguise themselves to stay away from the truth. However, in the Odyssey, lies and disguises are used for safety and the test of loyal. The theme of trickery plays a extensive role throughout the Odyssey, especially within Books 13 and 14, and is displayed through the concepts of lying and disguising. Throughout Homer’s Odyssey, the instances of Odysseus lying to Athena disguised as a young man and disguising himself when talking to his swineherd illustrate this theme of trickery. After being at sea for 20 years, Odysseus, the main character, doesn’t trust anyone or rush back to his house, when he gets back to his homeland, Ithaca.
The idea of fate or free will is something that is often linked to human nature and is reflected in many pieces of writing. They poke and prod the reader of these two beliefs, and allow them to determine the reasoning behind each character’s actions. Examples would include the play Macbeth, Oedipus and the film The Adjustment Bureau, as the main characters make decisions based with or against the newfound knowledge. Overall, it is considered that fate often dictates the influential choices, while free will consists of everyday life activities.
Henry Purcell’s The Fairy Queen: A Case Study The evolution of music can be viewed as a linear timeline of key, innovative composers who have far-reaching influences upon the musical continuum and perhaps epitomises the societal views which are relevant to their time period through their canonical pieces. As a result, in order to conduct a case study into any piece of music one must first realise said piece in regards to the concurrent political climate. Between 1642 and 1651 England was characterised by turmoil through civil war, which was essentially caused over the conduct of British government. This war was between the Parliamentarians and the Royalists, with the Parliamentarians being the victor.
The Odyssey is an age old classic read around the world. In the Odyssey, Homer tells the story of the wayward Odysseus. The story follows the protagonist as he makes his way back home, dealing with man-eating Cyclopes, a vengeful god, and a possessive nymph. During the story, the reader sees many sides of Odysseus as he dealt with his tribulations, such the cunning and witful side, but also the pompous and indulgent side. To begin with, Odysseus is trapped on an island with the nymph, Calypso.
Penelope and Odysseus’ use of tricks and deception are both a help and a hinderacne in allowing the former to avoid a second marriage and confirm her husband’s identity and the latter to attain nostos. Odysseus is wise not to tell his crew of Skylla, but should have divulged the contents of the bag of winds. Similarly, Penelope’s trick with the bed was harmless and successful, whereas undoing her work on the shroud has severe consequences when she is caught. As Homer’s Odyssey demonstrates, tricks and deception must be used wisely in order to avoid problematic
William Shakespeare’s “Othello” was a great example to showcase sacrifices made by characters to accomplish revenge or obtain power. Shakespeare told the story of Othello, a tragic hero, who was manipulated by Iago, which motivated him to kill his own wife. From this story, Shakespeare’s main goal was to portray characters making sacrifices for their ambitions. From this play, Shakespeare puts forth the idea of sacrifice through pointing out the importance of reputation and how sacrifices must be made to silence the truth.
With the laws of Venice miles behind them, the characters of Othello seem to have entered a Hobbesian state of nature where anything is permissible so long as it furthers the individual interest. Indeed, upon arriving in Cyprus, the majority of the characters have lives that are “poor, nasty, brutish, and short” (Hobbes 76). Othello is the perfect illustration of the dangers of rhetoric. Iago exemplified the type of rhetoric that made the Greek demagogues threatening.
Deception always has many perspectives; the truth, the fabrication, and how it is interpreted. An individual’s ability to deceive defines their effectiveness as a perpetrator. Within Julia Alvarez’s In the Time of the Butterflies and William Shakespeare’s Othello, the antagonists of each convey themselves as divine, therefore attempting to distract from their misconduct and represent themselves sincerely.
Throughout the play, the readers can see how human beings were irrationally behaved under the spell of these fairies and in the magic forest, however, there was a character based on the Greek mythology named Theseus as the Duke of Athens, who thinks logically and believes in just reality and not the imagination. Furthermore, the imagination based on this story can be asked on the play within the play of “Pyramus and Thisbe”, which is rehearsed by craftsmen throughout the story and performed at the wedding ceremony in the last scene, offers an increase of imaginative perspectives. The characters and events in the play indeed have their own way of interpretation of imagination that can be manipulative and confusion to the readers. In the
The epic poem Beowulf is a classic tale of good versus evil. Good, as shown in the story, is any action that fights evil and defends the community and the people of it. The evil intent of Grendel, the story’s antagonist and cannibalistic murderer, who is depicted as a “fiend out of hell” (99), is strongly countered by the heroic actions of the stories main protagonist, Beowulf. The noble King Hrothgar is a role model for young Beowulf at the beginning of the epic, displaying acts of charity and wisdom throughout his life.
‘Julius Caesar’ and ‘Henry V’ are plays whose themes are reflective of their respective contextual climates. They were both written in the time of renaissance theatre under the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, who was an avid supporter of Shakespeare’s work. The plays were written consecutively, and they both present historical figures that were greatly idolised in the period in which they were composed. Both history plays convey how, on political scenery, deceit is omnipresent. In Julius Caesar, it is used to bring down the monarchial rule and to ultimately implant a new democratic government, while in Henry V, the King makes use of multiple facets of his personality among which is deceitful behavior in order to conquer France and win over
The primary example of evens and odds in “The Purloined Letter” is seen in Dupin’s description of the schoolboy’s game called “evens and odds,” and in this game, the talented schoolboy is able to repeatedly win by identifying with his opponent (1247). This game begins to suggest Dupin’s motives through the repeated use of the word “even.” Despite its initial harmless meaning in the context of the game, this word also connects with Dupin’s revenge as “even” can be interpreted as “becoming or getting even with someone.” Furthermore, because the schoolboy imitates his opponents, he is literally seen as “becoming even” as he develops the same facial features and characteristics as his opponents. This sense of connection with the opponent is also echoed in Dupin’s mysterious history with Minister D—.
